Recipes

Kathy's Ultimate Cheesecake Recipe

Wednesday, November 20, 2013 11:00:11 AM America/New_York

FOR THE CRUST:
24 ladyfingers
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING:
3 packages (8-ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup ricotta cheese (see Sweet Wise homemade Ricotta recipe, or use storemade)
2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup sugar
3 eggs (should measure 1/2 cup)
FOR SERVING:
whipped cream and fresh strawberries and strawberry sauce, or whole cherry filling, if desired.
TO MAKE THE CRUST: In a food processor, combine broken up ladyfingers with butter and process until mixture is in fine crumbs. Press onto bottom only of a 10-inch Magic Line Cheesecake pan (3 inches high). Wrap a double thickness of foil around bottom and all the way up sides of outside of pan.
TO MAKE THE FILLING: In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat cream
cheese, ricotta cheese, sour cream, vanilla and lemon juice about 6 to 7
minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar and continue beating 3 to 4
minutes, until very smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after
each addition. Pour mixture into crust-lined pan.
TO BAKE: Put Cheesecake pan into a larger baking pan and carefully add hot
water to come 1/3 way up side of Cheesecake pan (best to do this on oven
rack).
Bake in preheated 250-degree F oven 3 hours or until set and knife
inserted near center comes out clean. (Top should be pale golden, if at
all).
Remove Cheesecake pan from larger baking pan and cool to room temperature.
While cake is still warm, run tip of a sharp knife gently around sides to
loosen cake from pan. Refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours or longer.
TO SERVE: Remove pan from refrigerator 1 hour before serving. Carefully remove bottom from Cheesecake pan. Cut cheesecake into slices with a sharp knife dipped into hot water and wiped dry. Serve with whipped cream and fresh strawberries and strawberry sauce, or whole cherry filling, if desired.
Makes 1 (10-inch) cheesecake